Gotham Season 4
by WizardofOzzie
Summary: The story begins where the Season 3 finale left off.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 – Everybody Wants Something

Harvey Bullock sat slouched in his chair staring blankly at the stacks upon stacks of crime reports covering his desk. The mass of paperwork was just another ugly reminder of the chaos the Tetch virus had heaped on Gotham City. Although the antidote had been available for almost three weeks, rounding up the infected and administering the cure had proved to be a massive undertaking and a severe drain on police and health service resources. Sadly, most of the "Tetchies" (a term coined by the media for the infected) didn't want to be cured and many were surprisingly cunning at avoiding the police sweeps and checkpoints designed to capture them. But the light at the end of the tunnel was almost in sight. The number of new crime reports coming in was finally beginning to drop to pre-outbreak levels and now efforts could be taken to address the thousands of crimes that had occurred during the crisis. The decision was made, by the City Council, not to prosecute the Tetchies that previously been law abiding citizens, but the uninfected criminal opportunists, who took advantage of the situation—they needed to be identified and apprehended. With that in mind, Harvey lifted the file of the one perp he couldn't wait to get behind bars. The name written in bold black letters on the folder was Edward Nygma.

Tabitha awoke to the sound of her name and the gentle nudging of her shoulder. She groggily opened her eyes and felt momentarily disoriented, unsure of where she was. She looked up at Selina; then it hit her, she was in the hospital, lying beside her precious Butch. He was still comatose and seeing him beside her with all the tubes and wires yanked at her soul, as fresh tears welled in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around him, as best she could without disturbing the equipment, and sobbed quietly on his chest. _This is all my fault_. She thought forlornly. _I should have killed Barbara when you told me to Butch. I'm sooo sorry!_

Selina stood silently at the side of the bed, hating the sight of her friend in such pain. She racked her mind searching for something she could say or do that would alleviate Tabs' anguish, but she knew getting Butch out of that bed was the only thing that would really make a difference _. Ivy fixed me when I was in a coma, I'm gonna find a way to talk to her._ Selina promised herself.

"Tabitha" Selina said softly, her hand gently touching Tabs' shoulder. "You need to get home and clean up. Penguin has called a meeting of the families today at three and we need to be there."

Tabs looked up with red-rimmed eyes and slowly nodded. She gave Butch a peck on his cheek, stood up, and walked out of the room. Selina wordlessly followed.

Penguin was hunched over his desk working on the outline of the speech he would give the crime families, when his phone rang. Annoyed, he almost decided to let it go to voicemail, but he saw it was his attorney's office, which had been trying to reach him for days, and picked up.

"Hello. I'm very busy today. So, unless this is urgent, we should talk later." Penguin said brusquely.

"Well, you tell me. How urgently would you like to become mayor again?" Answered a smooth female voice Penguin didn't recognize.

"Okay, you've got my attention. Who is this?"

"I'm Danielle Davis, a partner at the law firm that handles your affairs. My area of practice is governmental law. You see Mr. Cobblepot, under Gotham City law you are still technically the mayor of this city and you have over three years left to your term." There was an air of confidence and authority to her words that pulled Penguin in, but he had his doubts.

"Well my behavior, before I left office wasn't exactly mayoral, as I'm sure you know. I doubt I still have the people's support."

"Yes, they'll be naysayers, but I've got a plan to shut them all down. But it's best we discuss it in person."

"How soon can we meet?" Penguin asked anxiously.

"I can be at your mansion in twenty minutes." Danielle replied.

"Perfect! I'll be waiting." A broad smile spread across Penguin's face, as he hung up the phone. He grabbed the outline for the speech he'd been working on, crumpled up the sheet of paper, and tossed it in the wastebasket _._

 _To hell with that old speech. I've got a much better one now._ Penguin decided, rising from his chair and walking across the room to stand in front of an ornate full-length mirror. He stood there adjusting his tie and toying with his hair, as he mused about the great news he'd just received _. When the families find out I'm going to be mayor again, I'll have them in the palm of my hand._

As he stared in the mirror, he saw Ivy enter the room and walk toward him. Seeing her approach, he grinned, beaming. Although they had not been companions long, he cared very deeply for her. She had been there for him during some of his darkest days. Even with guns pointed at their heads, she'd stood firmly by his side. That was true loyalty and he'd never forget it. He turned to face her, his smile still bright.

"Well someone's in a good mood." Ivy chirped happily, a mischievous grin playing across her shimmering pink lips. "I need to ask a favor." She said cocking her head to the side and clenching her hands together under her chin in a 'pretty please' pose.

"Anything for my Ivy." Penguin proclaimed magnanimously, then he added with a sidelong glance. "Within reason, of course."

"I wanna have my birthday party at the Iceberg."

Penguin considered her request for a second before replying. "When is your birthday?"

"One month from today. The club be ready by then, right?" she asked softly, afraid he'd say no.

"Yes, it will and yes, you can. We'll throw a party that Gotham will talk about years from now." Penguin replied enthusiastically, pleased to make Ivy happy. Ivy's face burst into a dazzling smile, then she leapt into Penguin's arms and planted a juicy kiss on his cheek.

"I love you Pengy." Ivy squealed in delight. Penguin had given up on telling her not to use that nickname, after she promised not to use it in public.

"By the way, how old will you be?" He asked.

"Thirteen! Yay, I'm going to be a teenager, grown up inside and out!" Ivy sang as she broke into a little dance filled with child-like exuberance.

Penguin laughed, tickled by her cheerful antics. But he was also struck by how young Ivy really was. Although her age didn't come as a big surprise, it reinforced his desire to protect and guide her. _She deserves a real parent in her life._

Before Penguin could carry that line of thought any further, Olga stepped in and announced the arrival of Danielle Davis.

Tabitha and Selina were sitting at the bar in the Sirens, which was empty, but for the two of them. It was several hours before Penguin's big pow wow was scheduled to start and both ladies were concerned what decisions made, during that meeting, would mean to them.

"Penguin took control of Fish's organization when she died, including Mr. Freeze and Firefly. You and Firefly go way back. Do you think there's a chance you can get her to flip to our side?" Tabitha asked, her brow furrowed and her intense gaze fixed on Cat.

"Yeah, I've been trying to get through to Bridget, but she won't make a move without Fries. Seems like the two of them have really 'clicked' and now they're a package deal." Selina replied. "Both of them have moved into a guest house on Penguin's estate and Penguin's even having a massive freezer room added to it so Fries can be more comfortable. Getting them to turn on Penguin isn't likely to happen any time soon."

"What about Ivy. You two were thick as thieves and I mean that literally. Rumor has it, that girl can do things with plants that would make Mother Nature blush."

Selina looked down and slowly shook her head before responding.

"I don't know what's going on with Ivy, it's weird the way she's latched on to Penguin. I've only seen her once since I conned her into giving me the location of her and Penguin's hideout and she was still pretty pissed about that. All she could talk about was how wonderful Penguin is and how rotten I was to betray him. I mean she just went on and on about how smart he is; how brave he is; how generous—oh my God it was nauseating. But I gotta admit she was looking well cared for with her Hermes handbag, red bottom shoes and Versace dress."

"So, do you think there's any chance she's just playin' him for his money?" Tabitha, obviously intrigued, asked.

"Normally, knowing Ivy, I would say HELL YES!" Selina vigorously replied, before continuing in a more hesitant, unsure tone. "But no, it's definitely more than that. It's just the way she stood in the face of death for him. Riddler and your whole crew was out gunning for him, but she never left his side. I know for a fact she had a chance to run, but she didn't take it."

"Hmm, there's usually only one thing that'll make a young girl ready to die for a man—love." Tabitha stated with a knowing look on her face. "You think Penguin's hittin' that? Have you ever noticed how long his shoes are? That man might have rocked her world." Tabitha added with a throaty chuckle.

 _It's great to see Tabs laughing again._ Selina thought, finding the laughter contagious and falling into a giggling fit herself.

Finally, choking back her laughter, Selina breathlessly responds. "Yes, I have noticed his feet, but I didn't have the dirty mind to take it where you took it. But seriously though, that would be too messed up. Ivy is only twelve years old."

"Wait! Are you telling me that tall redhead is a twelve-year-old?" Tabitha gasped, clearly surprised.

"Yeah, Marv, one of Hugo Strange's freaks, touched her and she aged super-fast." Selina explained. "Ivy's had a hard life; so she's got a lot of street smarts, but deep down inside she's still a kid. There's more though, which is why I've been trying so hard to reach her."

"More?" Tabitha asked. Selina hesitated before responding because she'd purposely kept this information from Tabitha, afraid that her reaction would mean trouble for Ivy. But the phone call she received this morning made it clear that now was the time to put all her cards on the table.

"The rumors are true. Ivy's got mad skills when it comes to plants. She can heal people with plants, I think that's how Penguin survived after Riddler shot him. And I'm pretty sure it's the only reason I'm sitting here. I was in a coma after being thrown out of a fourth-floor window and when I woke up, a few days later, Ivy was in my hospital room with plants everywhere. The really wild part is, I didn't have a scratch on me. I felt great, like nothing happened." Selina took a deep breath before adding. "Maybe she can help Butch."

"We need to snatch her and find out!" Tabitha stated with a fierce gleam in her eyes. Selina's mouth dropped, shocked speechless for a moment before finding her voice.

"DO WHAT! You can't be serious Tab. We're going to bust into Penguin's lair and grab Ivy?! It sounds like a suicide mission to me." Selina vehemently protested. "I agree we need to get Ivy's help, but we need to do it right. Ivy can be stubborn, forcing her won't work."

"Oh, I _can_ force her." Tabitha confidently asserted.

"NO, we need to get her to cooperate voluntarily. If I can get close to her, I'm sure I can talk some sense into her."

"IF? If's not good enough. BUTCH COULD DIE ANY MINUTE!" Tabitha shouted, standing so suddenly that her bar stool fell over. Selina also stood up and looked Tabitha directly in the eye.

"THE BOTTOM LINE IS, I'm not going to repay Ivy for saving my life by kidnapping and torturing her." Selina stated firmly. "But I have a plan and I'll need your help to make it work."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

When Danielle Davis was ushered into Penguin's office, he was momentarily taken aback by her appearance; tall, impeccably dressed, long silky raven hair, and skin the color of warm honey. She looked more like a runway model, than a lawyer. There was an air of cool confidence in her demeanor and as he shook her hand he couldn't help but notice her huge brown eyes which seemed to radiate intellect.

"Welcome Ms. Davis. Thank you for agreeing to meet on such short notice." A smiling Penguin said.

"It's my pleasure Mayor Cobblepot. I've wanted to meet you in person for quite some time. And please, call me Danielle." She replied warmly. _She's a sharp one._ Penguin mentally noted. _She refers to me as Mayor; demonstrating her confidence in what she can accomplish, while enticing me with what I can reclaim._

"Thank you, Danielle, and please call me Oswald." Penguin said, as he pulled out a chair and gestured for her to sit at a small conference table. Once she was seated he gently pushed in her chair and sat opposite her.

"Well, let's get right to business because time is of the essence in this situation." Danielle began, her tone crisp and professional. "You see, in two days the city council will vote to ratify Acting Mayor James as the new mayor and we need to stop that from occurring. I'll do that by submitting a petition to the city council demanding your reinstatement under Article 27.1 (a) of the city code, which states that if a duly elected mayor is physically or mentally incapacitated for a period of less than 180 days he or she has the right to reassume their mayoral appointment upon clearance by a qualified medical professional.

I have a doctor, who can come by your home today to conduct your examination and write up your fitness for office clearance report. His report will explain how you were infected with an early derivative of the Tetch virus, which explains your aberrant behavior during the weeks preceding your disappearance, but now, you're completely cured." Danielle then scrutinized Oswald's face and thought to herself. _He's back, I see the shrewd calculation and burning ambition in his eyes._ She smiled and asked. "Well, Oswald, are you ready to make this happen?"

"YES!" Oswald exclaimed. "Let's do this!"

"Excellent." Danielle responded. "But there are still some details we'll need to iron out to get our PR machine at work on gaining the trust of Gotham back. We'll need an explanation of how you got infected and where you were during the weeks you were missing to give to the press. I've worked up a couple of scenarios, but I need to clear them with you to make sure they don't contain any gaping holes that someone can convincingly contradict."

"We won't need your scenarios, I can tell you exactly what _happened_." Penguin informed her, placing special emphasis on the word "happened". Penguin then leaned back in his chair and begun his tale, as Danielle leaned in anxious to hear every word.

"Well, it all began at the Founders Dinner; where I was approached by a well-dressed, stern-looking woman named Kathryn Monroe. She pulled me to the side and told me there were crucial facts about Gotham that I, as mayor, needed to know. She told me we would be meeting again soon and walked away. To be honest, considering what happened next, I didn't give another thought to our conversation. You see, not long after she left, The Mad Hatter burst into the affair and attempted to force the guests to drink wine laced with the Tetch virus. Fortunately, the GCPD arrived and put a stop to his diabolical plan.

It wasn't until weeks later that I saw Kathryn again. She told me about an organization composed of Gotham's oldest and most powerful families. She told me this organization existed for generations and had secretly controlled Gotham since the city's inception. She invited me to become a member, provided I proved myself worthy. I responded with disbelief and informed her that I, as mayor, controlled Gotham and had no need for her probably non-existent organization. She didn't make any further effort to convince me, she just calmly stated that I would soon know the truth.

The very next morning, I woke up and my pajama top was lying on the bed beside me. I was sure I had it on when I went to sleep. Then I noticed there was bruising and a needle mark in the crook of my arm. I felt a little woozy, but I brushed it aside determined to figure out what had happened while I was asleep. I ran downstairs to check with my security personnel, but I couldn't find anyone. Normally, Olga my housekeeper would have been in the mansion, but it was her day off. I knew I needed to find out what I'd been injected with and called my personal physician. Unfortunately, he was on vacation and an alternate physician, who was supposedly handling patients in his absence, came by and checked me out. He gave me a clean bill of health and he told me would let me know when the toxicology report, on the blood he had drawn, was in. It wasn't until much later that I discovered that my doctor was not on vacation, but my call had been re-routed to another phone using a device connected to the line at the pole. Within a few days, the hallucinations started." Penguin paused in his narrative for a moment and considered the holes in his elaborate lie that he would need to plug later. _Most of what I said can't be proven wrong. If anyone tries to follow up on the missing security guards, I'll just give them the names of the two security men Ed shot._

"Well, I guess that explains how you were infected." Danielle commented, while keeping silent regarding her actual thoughts. _Damn, I'm impressed. He's got to be one of the best liars I've ever met. Since Kathryn Monroe is dead, there's very little he's said that any third party can refute. I love the way he interspersed his story with a real-life event that was covered by the media. Great touch!_ Then she added. "In my scenario, you were infected by Debbie Dallas, who was working for the Court."

"Debbie Dallas?" Penguin asked, confused.

"You didn't know about Debbie Dallas? I assumed you were on to her, considering..." Danielle replied her voice trailing off, as she pulled a boxed VHS tape out of her satchel and handed it to Penguin. _If he didn't know she was a plant, why did she end up on a slab?_ Danielle wondered.

It only took a moment for Penguin to recognize the buxom redhead posing seductively on the porn tape's cover. _That's Isabella! The nose is sharper, but it's nothing a minor nose job couldn't fix. I knew there was something about that little hussy I didn't trust!_ Penguin silently concluded, his mouth a hard line. The more he thought of the misery the Court had inflicted on him, the more enraged he became.

"She was working for the Court?" Penguin sneered angrily, as he slapped his hand on the table accidently brushing Danielle's fingertip. Danielle, staring into his icy blue eyes and hearing the fierce undercurrent seeping through his voice, suddenly remembered how dangerous this man could be and she swallowed deeply before answering.

"Can't prove it was the Court, but she got a big payoff from somewhere." Danielle responded, speaking faster than she intended. "She was up to her eyeballs in debt after her no-count boyfriend ran up all her credit cards and skipped. Then she suddenly pays off every cent she owes and quits her porno job. A couple of months later she moves to Gotham. We interviewed one of her old friends. She claimed she no idea where Debbie's windfall came from, but she confirmed she'd had a rhinoplasty right after she received it."

Penguin chuckled ominously under his breath and Danielle fought back an urge to shiver and straightened her back instead, determined to stay in control of the situation.

"You've obviously done quite a bit of research putting your scenarios together. _Considering_ all your hard work, I think I'd like to see them after all." Penguin said smiling, only his steely eyes betraying the threat implicate in his words. "Leave the file here, with the background research, I'll review it, and we'll meet later to finalize our PR document. What I need you to do now is arrange for your doctor to conduct his exam before my 3 p.m. meeting this afternoon."

Danielle glanced at her watch, grateful to escape his piercing gaze. It was almost noon, she quickly grabbed her phone and called Dr. Greene. As she waited for the Doctor to come to the phone, her mind was in a jumble. _What the hell is wrong with me? Why do I simultaneously feel terrified, excited, and more alive than I've ever felt before? Get a grip girl, shake it off!_ Danielle inhaled deeply, exhaling just as Dr. Greene picked up. 

Penguin watched her as she set up the appointment, bewildered and captivated by what had wordlessly transpired between them _. She came here cool, confident, and totally in control of her emotions, but without even trying I ripped that veneer away and exposed the tender quivering creature beneath. It was like I could taste the fear radiating from her pores; sweet, succulent, and thoroughly intoxicating. Okay, slow down you're letting your imagination run wild. Get it together, you've got business to transact._ Danielle hung up her phone and turned to Penguin, he gave her an apologetic smile, which she returned, obviously relieved.

"Dr. Greene can be here by one. The exam shouldn't last more than thirty minutes. Will that fit into your schedule? Danielle asked, her poised façade firmly back in place.

"Absolutely, thank you." Penguin replied.

"I'm going to head back to my office to put the finishing touches on the reinstatement petition. Dr. Greene's report should be completed by three. Assuming he meets that timeline, I'll be able to deliver the petition to city hall by close of business today." Danielle stood up and approached Penguin, hand extended. Penguin also rose, took her hand and shook it.

"It's been a pleasure working with you Oswald. I'll be in touch soon." Danielle said and turned toward the door.

"Wait." Penguin said, touching Danielle's arm. "The PR document, when do you need it?" _Did she just jump when I touched her?_ Penguin questioned if he'd imagined it, her movement was almost imperceptible.

Danielle hesitated a second to compose herself before answering, his touch had jolted through her like a spark of electricity.

"To be honest, I needed it yesterday." Danielle laughed nervously, attempting to mask her discomfort and failing. Watching her, Penguin smiled _. No, I didn't imagine it._

"Well, that's my fault. I should have responded to your calls earlier. But don't worry, I'll get it done tonight." He answered apologetically, hoping to put her at ease before he continued. ''I think it would be more productive if you came by this evening and we could finalize my draft together. I'm confident that with your input, we'll develop an outstanding final product." Penguin added using his most business-like voice.

"You're right, it would be more efficient if we collaborated." Danielle replied, equally business-like.

"How about 7:30, my draft should be done by then."

"Let's make it eight, I'd like to grab a bite to eat first."

"Or, we could make it a working dinner. Olga is an excellent cook." Penguin offered casually.

"Actually, a home-cooked meal sounds great. See you at 7:30." Danielle answered smiling, before strolling out the door.

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"Alright, I'll hear you out. What's your plan?" Tabitha asked, skeptically, as she righted her bar stool and took a seat. Selina knew this going to be a hard sell, but things were finally falling into place and it might be now or never.

"Step One, we need to fake your death." Selina stated flatly.

"Okay, that plan sucks. Back to plan A—we snatch Ivy." Tabitha retorted, anger flashing in her eyes.

"Think about it for a minute Tabs, if you go to Penguin's meeting today; there'll be a bullet in your head before you take three steps into the room. I bet he was waiting for this meeting to act, so he can make a point in front of the families. Even if you don't go, he'll still be gunning for you. Butch was the only reason he didn't make a move on you sooner. There are only three ways we get him off your back. One, he thinks you're dead; two, Butch gets well; or three, we kill him." Selina explained hoping she was getting through to her.

"I'll take option three, then we snatch Ivy." Tabitha countered.

"Seriously, option three. Been there, done that. Didn't go so well, as I recall."

"Well, as I recall, it was going pretty good before you called Fish Mooney." Tabitha shot back.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" Selina said with an exacerbated expression on her face. "It wasn't about you. It was Barb and Ed I didn't trust."

"Yeah, if Ivy hadn't run out right after Penguin. They probably would have taken her down outta spite." Tabitha conceded. "Okay, you've made your point. How do I fake die?"

"My contact at the coroner's office called me. A Jane Doe came in today. She's around your age, height, and color. And best of all, her face was beaten to a pulp, totally unrecognizable."

"Wait, that sounds like a homicide. They'll be doing an autopsy and the police will be all over her." Tabitha interjected.

"Yeah, that's how it normally goes, but my source said there's a huge backlog due to the Tetch outbreak and she'll be in the cooler for at least a week before the autopsy. He's going to help us snatch the body today, but we need to act fast to get there at lunchtime when fewer folks are around."

"Okay, let's roll."

"First, we'll need to put on coveralls and work shoes, so we'll pass for funeral home attendants picking up a body for embalming. Also, you need to wear a wig, so you won't be easily recognized." Selina said, handing Tabitha a large gym bag.

"OK, but, on the way there, you need to tell me how long you've been planning this and what is Step Two."

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Firefly, Mr. Freeze, and Ivy were all seated at the conference table in Penguin's office waiting to see why he'd called them together. Penguin grabbed a sheet of paper off his desk and joined them at the table.

"There's something important I need to tell you now, because I want you to be the first to hear." Penguin began. "I'm going to be reinstated as mayor of Gotham, but I want you all to know things will be different this time around. My first official action will be to rescind the so-called Monster's Ordinance. Here's the speech I'm working on to announce rescinding the order, it's not totally fleshed out yet, but I'd like your opinion on what I've put together so far." Penguin stood up, cleared his throat, and began reading from the paper in his hand.

"The last few months have rained tremendous trials and tribulations upon the residents of Gotham City. The fact that we're standing here today is a testament to the unbridled courage and resilience of our citizenry. But times of great catastrophe make us not only stronger, but wiser. And I am a wiser man today than when I took office. I have learned that no person should be prosecuted merely because they are different and that differences can be an asset, not a liability. Because of the brave and courageous actions of some so-called monsters, the city was able to apprehend Dr. Strange and compel him to create an antidote for the Tetch virus. Therefore, I will no longer refer to our citizens who are differently-abled as monsters, unless they behave like monsters. I want all of us to live in a city where people are judged by the content of their character and not the coding of their DNA. Henceforth, these individuals will be described as extra-humans and not monsters. I am hereby rescinding the Monster Eradication Ordinance." Penguin paused for moment and looked anxiously at the three extra-humans seated before him. When all three stood up and started to applaud, a wide smile spread across his face and tears clouded his vision. Ivy ran over and gave him a huge hug. Firefly and Mr. Freeze joined her and patted him on the back. It had been a long time since Oswald felt so good.

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"So, you think Nygma is dead?" Lucius Fox asked, as he looked down at Harvey Bullock, who was seated at his chaotic desk.

"We issued a warrant and a BOLO on him, but there hasn't been a single sighting reported." Harvey answered.

"The last time we saw him he was being driven away, by Penguin, in the back seat of a stolen patrol car. The car was discovered later, abandoned near the docks. Nygma made it plain he wanted Penguin dead, I can only assume Penguin also wanted to whack Nygma. If it came down to a battle between the two, I'd put my money on Penguin." Jim Gordon jumped in and added.

"I agree, Riddler's probably sleeping with fishes." Harvey concurred. "But then again, this is Gotham, where nobody seems to stay dead for long."

"I'm not so sure Penguin killed him. I think there was some type of weird love-hate dynamic going on between those two." Lucius interjected. "Riddler told me he killed Penguin weeks ago, but it was pretty clear that on some level, he deeply regretted it. My bet is Riddler's alive and Penguin's got him stashed somewhere, showing him who's boss and making sure he never forgets it again."

"Then you think it's worth the effort to get search warrants on Penguin's known properties?" Bullock asked.

"It's the next logical move, but the problem is giving the DA a basis for the warrant. We destroyed all records of Penguin's arrest before we took him to the warehouse for the swap with Tetch." Jim replied.

"Not to mention all the leaks in this department, Penguin would probably get a heads up on the warrant soon as it hits the DA's desk." Lucius added. "Maybe our best move is undercover surveillance."

"Or let's look at the bigger picture." Jim suggested. "Who else was working with Riddler—Barbara, Butch, and Tabitha."

"Hmm, Butch is in a coma at Gotham General with a gunshot wound to the head, Barbara's been in the wind since the swap at the warehouse went bad; I guess that leaves Tabitha as the last man, I mean woman, standing." Harvey said. "Jim, let's pay Tabs a visit, but after lunch. I'm starving."

"I'll check if any Jane Does meeting Barbara's description have turned up at the morgue." Lucius added.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

After picking up the body, Selina pulled the nondescript white van she'd rented into the attached garage of their safehouse. As soon as she parked and closed the overhead door, Selina jumped out and opened the van's back doors. Tabitha rushed out, sweaty and pissed off.

"It was like an oven back there, I'm drenched." Tabitha complained, ripping off the blonde wig and throwing it on the floor.

"Tabs, help me get this body out the van." Selina called out, reaching into the van and gripping the body bag. Tabitha came over and helped, pulling the bag out until it fell with a dull thud to the floor.

"Okay, let's see what we got to work with." Selina sighed, squatting and pulling the body bag's zipper down. As the grossly disfigured face came into view, Selina gasped, dropping the zipper and turning away in disgust.

"Newbies." Tabitha hissed, rolling her eyes, before squatting next to Selina and pulling the zipper all the way down. Tabitha calmly surveyed the corpse's face. Both eyes were swollen shut and covered with deep purple bruising. The right side of the forehead was bashed in like a soup bowl, while the left side was so swollen it appeared like a balloon was beneath the skin. The nose was askew and resembled a raw steak after a good pounding with a meat hammer. Both lips were swollen as sausages and the lower lip sagged open lopsidedly, displaying raggedly broken teeth.

"Judging by the amount of swelling and bruising, she was alive for most of this beating." Tabitha explained nonchalantly. "The skin tone and hair color look about right, but the hair's too short."

"I can fix that." Selina said, walking behind Tabitha, whipping out a knife and slashing her pony tail off.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Tabitha screamed, reaching behind her head where her pony tail used to be. Tabitha jumped up and glared menacingly at Selina.

Selina carefully tied a knot in the middle of the glossy strands to hold them together, then stuffed them into a paper bag. "This will explain the short hair." She asserted, holding up the bag. "Sorry, but we had to do something, we couldn't wait for her hair to grow." Selina had heard somewhere that dead people's hair and nails kept growing.

Tabitha was still standing there, eyes ablaze.

"You once cut off your own hand to save Butch, I know you're not about to freak out over some hair." Selina reminded. "All of this," Selina gestured, opening her arms widely. "is for Butch."

Tabitha silently turned around and leaned over the naked body, inspecting the arms, legs, and torso. _Good she's clean, won't need to waste time scraping off old scars or tattoos._

"There's around a dozen stab wounds on her abdomen, that's probably what killed her." Tabitha explained. "Let me see your knife." Selina handed it to Tabitha, who laid the blade next to one of the wounds. "Yeah, this could've been done with that knife. It's about the right size." Tabitha said, handing back the knife.

"Almost done, just need a few finishing touches. Go get me the red makeup bag and scissors out of the bathroom." Tabitha instructed. Selina returned with the items a few moments later and handed them to Tabitha.

"Help me prop her up." Tabitha directed with a grunt, as she grabbed the body by the wrists and pulled the corpse into a sitting position. Selina knelt behind the body and held it up by the armpits. Tabitha pulled some black eyeliner from the red bag, grabbed the corpse by the hair to steady its lolling head and quickly applied the eyeliner, using the same strokes she made every day on her own eyes. Rapidly moving on to pull its hair up into her signature pony tail and clip off the straggly ends to mimic the how her hair now looked.

"Are we going to put your pony tail holder on her hair and dress her in one of your outfits?" Selina asked.

" _Really_ , that would be a totally amateur move." Tabitha sighed, rolling her eyes. "You always want to remove all clothing, jewelry, and personal effects before you dispose of the body to make it harder for the police to identify. Remember rule one—no body, no crime. After you show Penguin the body, get your friend Firefly to burn it to ashes. Anyway, it would take too much time to dress the body, put convincing puncture wounds in the clothes, and cover it with blood. Just tell Penguin you burned my clothes."

Glancing at her watch, Selina exclaimed. "It's almost two! We need to hurry up."

"Don't worry, if you're late for Penguin's meeting, you've got a good excuse—you were killing me." Tabitha said smiling. "You'll need to get rid of that city body bag. We'll wrap the body in a tarp and dump it in the big freezer downstairs."

"Okay, but you need to leave town soon as we're finished. I reserved you a hotel room in Marion with a pre-paid credit card. Marion's got a small airport that make's direct flights to Chicago O'Hare, from there you can travel anywhere—Vegas, Miami, LA. Consider it a well-earned vacation, have some fun."

"Alright, here take this." Tabitha pulled off her pony O and handed it to Selina. "Put this on the hair you cut off to keep it together. Then you can wear it on your belt like a warrior princess trophy. You'll look totally bad ass." Tabitha said, breaking into a throaty laugh.

X

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X

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Penguin's curiosity got the best of him and he decided to quickly look over Danielle's notes before his summit started. _Are there any other Debbie Dallas type discoveries that I need to know about?_ He pondered, opening the file.

He scanned the research their private investigators had provided and discovered a Xerox copy of the _real_ Isabella Grant's Gotham City Library employee ID. He stared at the photo of a homely, obvious overweight blonde. _Whoever set us up, really did their homework._ Penguin mentally noted. Continuing through the research and finding no new startling revelations, he turned his attention to Danielle's various scenarios.

One scenario stated that Ed had also been infected by a Tetch virus derivative. This version of the virus induced insanity, like the virus released on the city, but did not produce enhanced strength or stamina. According to the scenario, Ed suspected the Court was responsible for Oswald's disappearance and, once infected, pursued a violent vendetta to expose the Court and rescue Oswald. Ed's killing spree of highly intelligent people was motivated by his belief that they were connected to the Court and had information on Oswald's whereabouts. In fact, one of the six, intellectuals he murdered was found to be related to an actual Court member. Clearly, his subsequent Theater murder and kidnapping of Acting Mayor James was related to his pursuit of the Court. Under the City's new Tetch Virus Law Enforcement Protocol, Ed would not be charged for any of the vicious crimes he committed while infected by the virus _. Well this scenario got one thing right—Ed is a lunatic._ Penguin mused with a chuckle, as he closed the file.

There was a knock on his office door and Ivy walked in looking absolutely adorable in the Dulce & Gabbana dress he'd picked out for her. He had chosen the bright lemon-printed dress because the peasant style bodice and pouf shirt had a youthful, teenage air about it. He worried that some of the more form-fitting dresses, she loved to wear, attracted the kind of male attention she was too young to receive. Ivy initially balked when she saw it, but when Penguin showed her the four-figure price tag and designer label; she was instantly impressed and couldn't wait to wear it. How easily he could manipulate her, concerned him. _She's only one good-looking, silver tongued rogue away from being swept off her feet._ Penguin fretted, oblivious to the fact that he was the smooth-talking rascal that had already stolen her heart.

"Some of your guests have already arrived." Ivy informed him, her brow furrowed. "You should get in there. The Maroni Brothers and Lew Moxom are already talkin' trash to each other. It'll probably be an out-and-out brawl any minute." She added, grabbing his hand and gently leading him toward the door.

"Everybody's getting patted down before they enter, right? Penguin asked, as they made their way down the corridor to the large conference room.

"Yes, Mario and Pushy are both being thorough, just like you told them to." Ivy replied.

"I hope I don't regret foregoing the metal detectors." Penguin sighed. Reaching the conference room and seeing Firefly and Mr. Freeze flanking the outside doors, provided him some comfort. He and Ivy entered the room and Penguin noted the palatable tension between the Maroni Brothers and Lew Moxom, who were all already seated. He casually joked about seeing all three men together in the same room without there being blood on the walls, before adding how good it was to see everyone getting along, his tone making it clear that's exactly how he expected it to stay.

The crime bosses, Rupert Thorne, Bambol, and Antonio Zucco, entered minutes later. Penguin graciously greeted each man, offering each a seat at the table. Candy, a buxom blonde in skin tight shorts, approached each man soliciting their drink orders, as she bent over displaying her ample cleavage.

Penguin took his seat at the head of the table, as Ivy took the chair to his right. Looking over those assembled, Penguin noted one invitee was missing, an expression of annoyance briefly flitting across his face.

He leaned over and whispered to Ivy. "I see Tabitha's a no show, maybe she's smarter than I thought." He smirked.

"She can run, but she can't hide." Ivy replied in a hushed voice.

Just then the door opened and Selina strode in, flinging Tabitha's ponytail across the table, landing it directly in front of Penguin.

"Tabitha won't be coming." She announced, looking directly at Penguin. "Ever." She added darkly, taking a seat at the table.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Penguin looked down at the ebony fan of hair splayed across the table in front of him and picked it up, slowly waving the ponytail back and forth while his eyes were fixed on Selina. He smiled, a harsh chuckle escaping his lips.

"Did you really think I would be so easily fooled? Tabitha once cut off her own hand to make a point and you bring me a _ponytail_?" Penguin sneered, venom dripping from his words. "You've insulted my intelligence little girl."

"But I've got—" Selina protested, before being cut off mid-sentence by Penguin.

"SILENCE!" Penguin commanded, pushing his chair a few feet away from the table. "Come here." He added roughly, pointing to the floor directly in front of him. Everyone in the room was watching intently, anxious to see what happens next.

Selina opened her mouth to speak, but Penguin shot her a look that made her snap jaws shut. Selina rose and approached him, making a split-second recalculation of her situation. _He's too suspicious, he'll never fall for a faceless corpse. I've insulted him in front of a room full of gangsters. I'll need to feed his pride and swallow mine, if I want to get through this._

Selina walked over to Penguin and looked down at him sheepishly. "I'm sorry Mr. Penguin. I've been a _bad_ girl." She drawled, a child-like lilt to her voice. Selina quickly bent over and laid across his lap, stomach down. Penguin eyes widened in astonishment, then she jiggled her butt a bit and he caught on. _She wants me to save face by spanking her, instead of killing her. Clever girl._

"Yes, you've been a very bad girl." Penguin growled, gloating floating through his words. He raised his open palm high before delivering a loud whack to her rump. Caught off guard by the force of his blow, Selina yelped in surprise. Penguin swiftly followed with a half dozen more smacks, before grabbing the leather collar around a panting Selina's neck and pulling her to her feet. "Get out of here and wait upstairs until I come for you." Penguin ordered, giving her ass a final slap as she turned. Selina slowly sauntered away gently rubbing her butt, every man in the room watching in fascination.

Pino Maroni leaned over to his brother and whispered. "I didn't know there was going to be live entertainment." Umberto replied by breaking into a hearty laugh.

"Alright gentlemen, let's bring this meeting to order." Penguin boomed, looking over the smiling and smirking men assembled before him, while oblivious to the scowling Ivy on his right.

After leaving the meeting, Selina went to the darkened home theater room to gather her thoughts. She had correctly interpreted Penguin's command to 'wait upstairs' to mean 'stay out of sight'. Grifter's just had a way of talking to each other that only made sense to them. She used the time alone to recalibrate her plan to get next to Ivy and get Butch well; deciding she'd come clean on the scheme to fake Tabitha's death.

But her mind wandered and she asked herself why she was going through all this for Butch. In a rare moment of self-reflection, she admitted to herself that her real motivation was not to help Butch or Tabitha, for that matter. It was to redeem herself in Ivy's eyes. She recalled how deeply Ivy's words cut during their last meeting. Ivy had called her a Judas and asked Selina how many gold coins she'd gotten to betray her. She wanted to argue that she had no choice; that refusing to cooperate with Barb and Nygma would have only lead to her death. But she knew that wasn't true—you always have a choice and she had made the wrong one. Ivy's accusations had echoed the words both Alfred and Bruce had thrown at her. All three had reached the same conclusion—the only person she cared about was herself. _Maybe all of them are right._ She conceded with gloomy resignation.

After the meeting had concluded and Penguin saw the last of his guests out, he turned to Ivy and announced joyously. "The meeting was a resounding success! I had the bosses eating out of my hands."

"Yes, Pengy, you are the king of Gotham!" Ivy replied enthusiastically, gazing into his mesmerizing eyes, which had a magical quality of glowing green or shifting to an icy blue when the lighting fluctuated.

Then rapidly changing the subject to his next task at hand, Penguin told Ivy. "We need Selina to tell us where Barb and Tabitha are hiding, but I have some urgent paperwork to complete before dinner. So, I'm counting on you to get the information from her."

"I'll get her to tell me, don't worry." Ivy promised.

"Oh, I'm not worried. I know you're the one person I can always count on." Penguin added affectionately, landing a quick peck on her cheek, before limping off to his office.

Ivy stood there a moment holding her hand over the spot Penguin had kissed, a warm glow spreading through her body.

Selina woke, annoyed that she had allowed herself to doze off in the theater room's crazy comfortable, plush seating. She was suddenly aware of the muffled sound of her name echoing through the theater's walls. She jumped up and opened the door. Recognizing the voice, Selina called out.

"Ivy, where are you? I'm by the home theater." Hearing distant footsteps moving toward her, Selina ran in the direction of the sound. She didn't run far before seeing Ivy, who turned around spotting her. As Ivy neared, Selina couldn't help but notice the hard expression creasing her face.

"Ivy, I'm—" Selina's words abruptly halted by Ivy's swift backhand across her mouth. Stunned, Selina stood speechless as Ivy erupted.

"You whore! Shaking your butt in my man's face, just begging him to touch it." Ivy shrieked, getting in Selina's face their noses only inches apart.


End file.
